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KEVIN MURRAY, WHO’S thought to have been involved in the Regency Hotel shooting in February 2016, died last night after a long illness.
The 47-year-old father of two “passed away quietly” at his home in Strabane Co Tyrone, according to parish priest Reverend Declan Boland.
Murray, who’s also known as Flat Cap, suffered from motor neuron disease, which progressed until he was left paralysed from the neck down.
He had spent time at a hospice before returning home for his final days.
It was due to his illness that a court refused to extradite Murray to the Republic in May of this year, despite gardaí saying he could be identified on the CCTV footage of the Regency shooting.
It had been argued in court that Murray didn’t have long left to live; the judge ruled that “the only appropriate course I can take is to discharge” Murray, according to the Belfast Telegraph.
The 2016 shooting, where Kinahan cartel member David Byrne was shot and killed while attending a boxing weigh-in, sparked a series of gangland-related killings between the Hutches and Kinahans.
Murray’s daughter and son, as well as his parents, sister and three brothers were at his bedside.
His funeral will be held in the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Strabane this Saturday morning.
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Interesting. I never heard of ill Health as a grounds for refusing extradition even when the prima face evidence of guilt was so strong.
The message is to use terminally ill people to do contract killings.
@Tony Daly: jack ruby springs to mind
@Richy: good point.
@Richy: and many suicide bombers who wish to leave a legacy…and curtail a difficult end…
@Tony Daly:
He wouldn’t have lived long enough to stand trial. Therefore, extradition would have been pointless.
@Ciarán Masterson: he could have been held pending trial or his death. Why should he avoid legal process and special treatment because of illness.
The point is that the law does not recognise terminal illness as a lawful reason not to extradite. If people want such a law they may lobby for it but, as of now, it does not exist.
@Frank Cooney: and where is that provided for in Northern Ireland extradition statutes?
@Tony Daly: or any other country’s ?¿
@Tony Daly:
It would have been a waste of taxpayers’ money to extradite a suspect who would not live long enough to stand trial.
@Tony Daly: whilst I agree in part,we would need to pay for his treatment and detention….what’s the point
Another good republican no doubt
Fascinating stuff. One can only speculate he was involved. To be involved in a wild west murderous killing spree, and to come away relatively unscathed, only to be brought down by a deadly force of nature. You couldn’t come up with this stuff..
@Sean Kelly: Perhaps if you were aware of the illness – you could…
@Fank Pulman: I was speaking in retrospect and you know it you silly sausage you. Obviously no offence to anyone with a disability..
@Sean Kelly: Fair enough. But people who are aware of a terminal illness – can decide to make their final strong point!
@Fank Pulman: A nest egg for his family,I wonder?He was finished and did’nt care about himself but sorted his loved ones out?
@Billy McNamara: perhaps….
@Sean Kelly: sounds like a trailer for a movie…
@Billy McNamara: a bit like Walter!
@funkytown: walther
@Sean Kelly:
Since he was clearly photographed emerging from the Regency brandishing a hand gun after witnesses saw him carry out the killing I think it’s a pretty reasonable assumption that he was involved in some way…
He knew he was dying hense taking the huge contract to set his family up financially after his death
“huge contract”
Yeah, that £28,000 should last ages.
This is tragic. Some solicitor will have to go without his Christmas Barbados break because of this
I wouldn’t have thought a person could have been capable of carrying out a murder if they had Motor Neuron disease, it’s less than two years since that horrible crime.
@Catherine Mc: The disease can be seriously aggressive with death within 6 months of diagnosis. He may not have had the disease at the time of Hotel attack and very probably didn’t
@Turk Oneeighttwo:
I didn’t realise it could kill you so quickly, the few cases I know of, lingered for many years.
I heard he died of AIDS that he caught from his multiple boyfriends.
Will he get a proper republican funeral with a colour party and volley of shots!!
Was Pinochet not prosecuted for his crimes on medical grounds?
I see they have given the regency a new makeover church type of look outside! Funky
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